Aldi Is Selling An Anti-Snore Pillow For Under £5, But Can It Really Give You A Silent Night?

A sleep expert gives her verdict.

Aldi is selling a snore pillow that will supposedly stop your partner keeping you up all night for less than £5.

The Slumberdown Anti Snore Pillow is designed to raise the head during sleep to keep the airways open, ensuring the night can go by “without too much noise”.

Aldi isn’t the first place to sell snore pillows. In fact, Amazon recently reported a significant year-on-year sales uplift of the products (up 43% in 2017). But the supermarket’s offering is cheaper than a lot of competitors.

So, if there’s a snorer in your household, could this be the cure you’ve been dreaming of?

Aldi

According to Maryanne Taylor, sleep consultant and founder of The Sleep Works, when we drift off our muscles relax and if there is a partial blockage in the airways during this time, snoring occurs.

“Snoring can originate from the mouth, tongue, nose or throat and determiningwhich area a person is snoring from is helpful in order determine best treatment options,” she tells HuffPost UK.

“A mouth snorer breathes through the mouth instead of the nose. A tongue- based snorer is when the tongue falls to the back of the throat when asleep, which blocks the airway. Nose snoring is when the nostrils are congested or collapse which causes a blocked airway. Finally, throat snoring is caused by vibration of the soft tissue at the back of the throat.”

Because of these different types of snoring, Maryanne says snore pillows will not help everyone.

“The basic idea behind a snore pillow is about positioning. They are created to position the head so it is pulled back slightly, aligning the neck muscles and opening up the airways. They are designed to encourage side sleeping rather than back sleeping which can exacerbate the snoring,” she explains.

“They are likely to be most beneficial to people with mild snoring issues and re-aligning the sleep position can help alleviate the snoring.”

She adds that some people actually find these pillows uncomfortable and cannot sleep with them, as it raises their head too much, especially if they like to sleep on their stomachs.

“It is certainly worth trying to see if there is any benefit initially and if no improvement, investigate other options,” she says.

Maryanne recommends the following lifestyle changes, which can help to reduce or end snoring:

:: Weight loss -a small amount of weight loss can improve symptoms by opening up the airways.

:: Reducing alcohol and smoking – smoking can cause excessive fluid build up in the throat which exacerbates symptoms while alcohol causes throat muscles to relax which also impacts on breathing.

:: Changing your sleep schedule – going to sleep late can aggravate the symptoms, so stick to a regular and consistent sleep schedule by going to bed and getting up at the same time every day.

:: Try yoga breathing – practicing controlling your breathing can help open the airways and allow for increased passage of air in and out of your body.

In addition you should try to sleep on your side rather than your back and use a nasal spray at bedtime to clear your nasal passage at night.